Flytrap



-II IIIunu 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I n I I 1 II l In ll Il II Il |I II ll I I III IIl s: .l a: Il l I l I I I I l l l s Il II Il II Il n n n n II n l I |I u Il Il I: I

IIIIIII- T N I.

I I l I I I I I I I I I Ww/QN IMT M I I I l I I l I I I I I I I I I I x F. w. COTTERMAN Filed April 1s, 1939 y I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ad" I I I I I \w|` I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 3 Aug. 19, 1941. F. w coTTERMAN FLYTRAP 3 Sheets-Shes?I I5 Filed April 18, 1959 INVENTR.

Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLYTRAP Frederick W. Cotterman, Dayton, Ohio, assigner to Bessie D. Apple, Dayton, Ohio Application April 1s, 1939, seria1N0.26s,614

`4 claims. c1.4a111 This invention relates to `insect catching mechanism and more p-articularly to ytraps.

It is a generally accepted `belief that flies are carriers of disease germs, and, while many traps have been offered which are relatively ecective as far as catching the ilies is concerned, all ofthem are objectionable because the devices are so constructed that the entrapped insects are transferred from the trap to a container in which they are killed and from which they are then removed, an operation which is not only distasteful but one which may subject an individual to the very contamination which it is intended to prevent.

It is therefore an object of this invention to so construct and arrange an embodiment thereof that the danger of contamination is minimized, by providing a disposal box for theentrapped flies which, being made of paper or similar cheap material and completely closed, is used but once then thrown away and replaced by a fresh one.

Another object is to construct the disposal box in the form of a drawer which may slide into a space in the cabinet of the trap and thereby not only be out of the way so as to make a neat appearing structure but also to be supported and protected against breakage or distortion.

Another object is to provide the paper disposal box or drawer with a permanently closed window in one side and with a gateway which is normally closed, but which is automatically pushed open by mere insertion of the drawer in the cabinet, whereby a way is provided thru which the entrapped insects may migrate from the dark interior of the trap to the lighted interior of the drawer, the gateway in the drawer being adapted to automatically close when a Iiy iilled drawer is withdrawn .from the cabinet to be replaced by a fresh one. K i

Another object is to provide a trap door in th Wall of the cabinet adjacent the gateway in the disposal drawer, said trap door also being automatically opened by mere insertion of the disposal drawer in the cabinet, and automatically closed by withdrawal of the drawer, to the `encl that when a full drawer is withdrawn, any flies remaining in the cabinet will not be able to escape from the cabinet unless anew drawer is inserted and may then pass only from the cabinet into the drawer.

The invention herein disclosed is embodied in one of the class of traps wherein the insects are attracted to the trap by means of some kind of bait, and, it is known that to be effective such bait must be moist and preferably in a state of fermentation, and it is therefore another obj ect of this invention to provide a bait carrying element which will absorb a large volume of `liquid bait and hold the moisture for an extended period, to the end that frequent attention and renewal of the bait is unnecessary.

Other objects, meritorious features and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a iront elevation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts thruout the several views.

The particular embodiment of the invention shown has a sheet metal cabinet comprising two end members Iii and l2 held in spaced apart relation by several longitudinal members, one comprising .in one piece a lower floor I4 and a back i6 and another-comprising in another piece an upper iioor Il andfrcnt I8.

The end members Il] and l2 have flanged over edges 20 and 22 to the inside of which the mem.- bers I4--IS and I'l-IB are secured, preferably by spot welding, soldering or similar means. A drawer 23 of cardboard, paper or similar material, closed on all sides as well as top and bottom, but with Cellophane windows 25 in the front, is removably slidable in the space between the upper floor Il and the lower floor I4. Pressed sheet metal guide members 2l (see Fig 2) position the drawer endwise in the cabinet.

A convex window 24 which may preferably be made of transparent plastic material extends the full length between the end members I0 and I2 and is held to the curved portion of the flanges 2li and 22 by rivets 26, and where riveting is diiiicult, by the small bolts 28.

The front I8 is bent inward at I9 and then downward at 2l (see Fig. 3), the -inner face of the portion 2| being curved to the radius of the window 24. c

Rotatably mounted in the upper portion of the cabinet between the end members I0 and l2 is the tetragonal prism 30 which comprises two pressed sheet metal end heads 32 and 33 with flanged over edges 34, the corners of which are rounded as at 36 (see Fig. 3), and fitted into the rounded corner of the heads are four struts 38 of angle iron cross section with the corners appropriately rounded to correspond to the heads.

The struts may be secured to the heads by soldering, welding, or similar means and when so assembled hold the heads axially spaced apart at opposite ends of the cabinet, thereby providing an open framework into which a core 4l] olf sponge rubber, synthetic sponge or similar material may be inserted.

The prism Sil is ro-tatably mounted at one end on the bronze bearing screw 44 which is threaded into a small hub t3 in the end member Il) but has a smooth part 43 without threads which extends into the small hub 5i! of the prism head 32.

At the other end the prism is rotatably mounted directly on the output shaft 52 of f o. small one R. P. M. electric clock motor 54,-the end of the shaft 52 being made hexagonal to provide a driving connection with ahexagonal hole in the small hub 56 of the end head 33 into which the output shaft 52 extends. The inner `radius of the convex window 24 is formed and positioned to just clear the rounded corners 58 of the struts 33 as it rotates. Rotation is in the direction oi the arrow 59 (see Fig. 3).

`A scraper 300i the same length as the prism 30 has the rear edge curled as at 62. Small nails Ylill are driven thru holes in the end members I0 and l2 into the curled Yportion 62 whereby the scraper may oscillate as the prism-revolves. The front edge of the scraper is bent back upon itself asat 66 to ladd strength to the structure as well e as to provide a smoother edge.

Since the lianged over edges Sli of the end heads 32 and 33 extend over the outside of the angle iron struts 38, it will be obvious that, as the prism rotates, the scraper will bear only `on the llanged over portions 34, and will therefore not touch the core of sponge rubber 4U nor the struts 38 although it will come very close to them.

A rectangular opening 68 extends thru the upper floor l1. A flat spring 18, secured to the top-surface'of the upper oor by rivets 12 extends transversely of the oor and across the opening 68, resting on both edges. Where the spring crosses the opening it is bent to form the camming lobe 14 which extends downward thru the opening 68 into the drawer space.

The top wall of the cardboard drawer 23 has a slit cut thru it, the slit comprising two transverse cuts 16 and "I8 joined by a longitudinal cut Y under the lobe, the spring forces the lobe down- `ward on the flap and opens up a long narrow passageway 84 which faces the Cellophane window 25 in the front of the drawer.

A trap door 86 is hinged at 38 to the upper oor I1 in a position to drop-and cover the rectangular opening 68 in the upper oor. each end of the trap door a lobe 98 extends downwardly thru the opening 68 and rests on the top wall of the cardboard drawer 23. The lobes 90 are spread far enough apart to stra-ddle vthe flap 82 and rest on the top wallof the drawer whereby `the lobes keep the door in the open 4position shown as long as the drawerremains in .placefbut permits itto assume the closed :position by simple withdrawal of the. drawer. iIt follows that,` inqoperation, thesimple `insertion of a new cardboard drawer 23 into place in the cabinet not only opens the flap 82 of the drawer but also opens the trap door 8B in the upper floor I1, while simple withdrawal of a lled drawer not only closes the flap 82 to prevent flies escaping from the removed drawer but drops the trap doorV 86 to prevent such flies as have not yet migrated from the top into the drawer from escaping from thetrap into the open.

Several times during the fly season the core should be saturated with some liquid which attracts the insects. Further operation consists of inserting a drawer 23 and starting the motor.

The number of times the cardboard drawer needs to be'exchanged for a fresh one will of course Ydepend on the prevalence of the insects which will Vary with the location and season. The

lled drawer may be disposed of along with other rubbish. Flies caught in a drawer will soon succumbafterwhich Vit will make no difference if such 'drawers which have been deposited in rubbish receptacles are raccidentally broken open.

The idea ofemployinga rotating prism with one side-adjacent; a; curved window and the other contacting anoscillating-scraper, is broadly old and its operative .principle ofv attracting insects to .the at sides i of the slowly revolving `prism and turning `the flat sides vuntil the insects lind themselves between a'prism side and the curved window, and later inthe darkened interior of the cabinet, is well understood and is not herein claimed alone, the novelty .ofl the vpresent invention consisting more especially in a method and means of disposing of the insectsfwith-minimum botherand danger of contamination, after they are brought to the darkened interior of the trap,

.and the structure of the prism.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the `personal attention which must be given the device to maintain it in operation .does not include the distasteful operation of killing and removing the flies nor in any way subject.v the operator to the-dangerof contamination from contact with them, nor Ydoes it include frequent renewal of the bait.

Furthermore, the device has a neat appearance and is designed to give maximum capacity ina small space.

Having describedan embodiment of my invention in which the objects-hereinbefore enumerated are attained, I claim,

'1.' The combination of ,an insect trapping means comprisinga receptacle yhaving a chamber with an elongated exit opening and means to 'entrap insects in said chamber, with a sanitary renewable disposal means in the form of a container of cardboard or the like, completely sealed except for a` self closing flap inV one wall thereof, means to hold said container positioned with said flap alongsidesaid exltopening, `means extending fromsaidfreceptaclethru said exit ,opening door thru saidexit opening-and resting against said container lbeyondsaidA flap to holdsaiddoor open. only :solong as saidv container -is lso positioned.

2. The combination in insect catching aplparatusof a cabinet, `a .partitiondividing the Vinterior of said` cabinet vinto a trapping compart- .mejnt and adrawer space, i, means yto-entrap` v-insects inla chamber `in the trapping compartment,

a sanitary renewable sealed disposal drawer of cardboard or the like slidable into the drawer space, said partition h'aving an exit opening from said chamber and said drawer having a self closing iiap adjacent said exit opening, means extending into said drawer space adjacent said ilap to press on said drawer and open said flap when said drawer is pushed to its fully entered position, a self closing door for said exit and means on said door adapted to rest on said drawer and hold said door open as long as said drawer remains in place.

3. The combination, in an insect trap, of a cabinet having a chamber and a drawer space, trapping mechanism adapted to entrap insects and deposit them in the chamber within the cabinet, a partition wall in said cabinet separating the chamber from said drawer space, a sanitary sealed disposal drawer of lcardboard or the like slidable into the drawer space, said partition having an elongated exit opening from said chamber and said drawer having a self closing iiap alongside said exit opening, a resilient memdrawer is being moved into the drawer space but adapted to expand and push open said flap when it reaches a position on said drawer adjacent said flap, said position being reached when said drawer is pushed all the way into place.

4. An insect trap comprising, `in combination, a cabinet containing a chamber and a drawer space, trapping mechanism in the upper portion of said cabinet comprising means to entrap insects and deposit them in the chamber in the cabinet, a partition separating said chamber from said drawer space in the cabinet, a sealed drawer of cardboard or the like slidable into the drawer space, said partition having an elongated opening providing an exit from the said chamber and said drawer having a self closing flap alongside said opening, a self closing door for said exit opening, a resilient flap opening member positioned to press on said drawer adjacent said flap to open said flap when said drawer is pushed all the way into place but adapted to yield and move out of said drawer space when said drawer is being inserted or withdrawn, and means adapted to rest on said drawer when it is in place to hold said door propped open.

FREDERICK W. CO'ITERMAN. 

